Packing structure.



P. H. IVIACK.

PACKING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION man AuGm` 1915.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

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` or zones of substantially PATRICK H. MACK, BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR T0 OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OFPITTSBURG-H, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANM PACKING STRUCTURE.

,Lacasse Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea august si, 1915. serial No. 48,224.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be itknown thatFI, PATRICK H. MACK, a

`citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county ofMcKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Packing Structures, of which the following is-aspeciication.

This invention relates to packing structures and more particularly tostructures employed in the packing of Wells. While the invention isdesigned more particularly for use in connection with Well packers,plugs, etc., and is particularly described herein in connectiontherewith, the general princi les of the Iinvention may be employed inot er connections, the invention not being limited to this particularuse.

Well packing devices, under present practice, are of different types,the packing elementor member generally employed being in the form of anelongated cylinder usually made `of rubber, the cylinder being mountedon an 'inner unyielding member such as a tube, and being designed to beexpanded into contact with the wall of the well at the proper pointtherein. As the packer 'must have a free movement within the well inreaching the desired point, the packing ele'- ment or member has anormal thickness insufficient to bridge the space between the tube andthe Well walls. 'Io produce the packin relation between the tube andwell wall, 1t

.is the practice to expand the packing member by movements ofacompressin element in the direction of length of the tuge.

In expanding theA member to provide this contact lwith the walls -of thewell, there is a tendency to produce a space between the packing memberand the tube through the bulging effect produced by the action of thecompressing member. sults in decreasing the ability of the packingmember to resist leakage between the member and the wall of the well,sincethe resistance of the packing member itself becomes variablethrough the absence of a rigid suppo't between the packing member andthe tu e.

' The present invention is designed to overcome these ditiiculties by,producing a zone uniform resistancewithin the packing memberintermediate its ends, this result being obtained by the employment ofone ormore rigid members positioned by the compression action of thepack- This, obviously, re-

ing member itself, such tend bers the resistance is built up toapproximately balance the pressure applied. rIhis eiiect is producedregardless of the conditions of service, since the proper building up ofresistance actionfisprovided through the-eEect placed on the packingmember during. its compression. As a result, a zone or zones ofsubstantially uniform resistance are produced, the packer structureWithin each zonebeing solid between the well wall andthe supportingtube, thereby eiectually preventing any compressing action ing to movethe rlgld member or meminward yielding of the packin member sacient toprovide any material the zonal-Contactin area.

To these and ot er ends, the nature of which will be readily understoodas the invehtion is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists inthe improved construction and combination of parts as hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. c

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference charactersindicate similar eakage within Aparts in` each of the views,

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing a simple arrangement ofparts for providlng the desired result, the' parts being shown inunexpanded position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the packing expanded. Y

Fig, 3 is a vertical sectional view of yone form of well packer havingthev present 1nvention applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a diderent type of packer showing theinvention applled thereto. v

Referring more particularly to Fi 1 and 2, representin a simple way in wpresent invention may be carried out, 10 represents a tube threaded atone end to rece1ve a compressin member 11. 12in'd1cates the packing memer mounted on thetube, belng positioned between the compressmgmember 11and a member 13 the latter bemg held against movement; the member 13.'may be considered, for the purpose of explaining the invention, as afixed member. lAs shown, the

in the direction of least resistance until4 ith the' llo members 11 and13 are preferably provided Y the member 11 inwardly, the distancebetween the members 11 and 13 will be defor ready insertion on thecreased, thus expanding the member 12, with a tendency to form a spacebetween the interior of the member 12 and thetube.

For the purpose of producing the zone or zones of substantially uniformresistance, l preferably employ one or more members 14 freely movable onthe tube and having an outer surface preferably curved in cross sectionfrom top to bot-tom, these members being free to move on the tubeexcepting as such movement is rest-rained by reason of contact of themembers with the packing member 12. These members 1l preferably have anormal position with respect to the packing member, this being producedby providing complemental annular recesses within the packing member insuitable manner. For instance, the packing member may be formed aboutthe members 1i, thus locating-them as a part of the packing member tube,the members 1l, however, not being tixedly positioned within theypacking. Or, the interior of the packing member may be formed withgrooves complement-alto the members 1l and the latter afterward placedin position.

rthe number of be employed will depend upon the length of the packingmember. 1n order to produce the desired result, l preferably employT atleast two of such members within the packer.

lVith the parts assembled as indicated in 1, threading of the member 11inwardly will tend to decrease the length of the packing member whileexpanding it. Since the members llare free to move on the tube, anymaterial change in the direction of length of the packing member 12 willcause movements A of action of the walls of the recesses of member 12.rlhus, when this compression action is had, its eect is immediate on theupper and lower ends of the packing member 12', tending to force theupper end of the packing member inwardly and thus providing pressure onthe upper side of the top member 14; Slnce the latter is unyielding,being preferably formed of metal, this action will tend to force thismember downwardly and thus shift its point of greatest diameterdownwardly, and tending to crowed the material of the packing outwardlyat this point. This action also takes place in connection with theremaining members 1-1, tending to 'crowd the packing outwardly'byattemptmg to shift the relative positions of the members 14 with respectto the walls of the recesses, the ylength of movement of succeedmgmembers 11 decreasing, thereby producing a relative movement betweenmembers. While there might be a tendency to decrease the cross sectionalwidth of the recesses or grooves under this compressing members 1l whichmay the members 1l under the Lacasse action, the fixed configuration'ofmembers 14; prevents such' action, so that there is also a crowding ofthe packing material between adjacent members 14, these members 1-1shifting their positions in the directions of least resistance under theaction of the packing member itself, thereby positioning the members 14at such points as require the presence of the support, it being clearthat if resistance to member-movements is equal on all sides of a memberl-l, the radial support for the packing material is complete, and atpoints where resistance to movements of a member l-i is less than atother points, the member will move in such direction until resistanceagain substantially equalizes, thus producing the zone of substantiallyequal resistance.

From the above, it will be understood that the members 1i have what maybe considered a floating actionwith respect to the tube, and may beconsidered as floating ribs for the tube, even though they may be.carried by the packing itself, as heretofore referred to.

The present invention may be applied to vvarious uses, beingparticularly adapted for use in connection with well packers. Forinstance, in' Fig. 3, ll have shown it applied to a packer of the typedisclosed in my companion applica-tion, tiled Marchi), 1915,*Serial#12,30% the packer in this case being one set solely by rotation of atool, the form shown being that1 of a packing plug at the bottom. of awell, a position where the plug mustretain its position independent ofanyweight and against the action of pressures. Int-his form, the packingmember is setby the rotation of a threaded stem a working ina sleeve a',this action causin'g the cap a2 to be moved inwardly to compress thepacking member, the fixed or opposing member being indicated at a3.

ln Fig. 4, l have shown the invention as applied to a packer which isadapted to be set by the superimposed weight ofl the upper sections, astructure disclosed in the patent to P. H. and F. H. Mack, #1,145,155,July 6, 1915. In this arrangement, the packing member is set by theweight of the superimposed sections vhen the lower end of the packerreaches an abutment within the well. In this view, the fixed member isindicated at b and the movable member at b.

lVhile I have shown the application of the invention in connection withthese two forms only, it will be obvious that it may also be employed inconnection wth'other types. v

That 1 claim is 1. In combination, packing member external of thetubular member and. adapted to be Aset between opposing surfaces havinga spaced distance greater than the thickness of the member,

a tubular member, "a.

lltl) means for expanding the member by com-` y expanding theJ packing,

- ing the body, means pression-inthe direction of member length,

and rigid means loosely carried by the packing and rendered 'operativeby the compressing action of the member for establishing substantiallyuniform resistance substantially throughout lthe length of the packingmember. Y

2. In a well packer, a tubular body member, a compressible packingelement embraclfor compressing and expanding the packin a plurality ofrigid ring members loosely carried by the packing, said rings renderedoperative to effect a wedging action by the compressing action of thepacking for establishing substantially uniform resistance throughout thelength of thepacking. i

3. ln a Well packer, a tubular body mem.- ber, a compressible packingelement einbracing the body, means for compressin and a plurality origid ring members loosely carried by the packing and disposed incontact with the body member, said rings rendered operative to effect awedging action by the compressin action of member. external by acompressing action thereon,-

l port,'means for expan combination,

-member in its expandedgposition,

the packing for establishing su tantially uniform resistance throughoutthe length of the packing.

4. In packing structures for wells and in combination, a tubular member,a packing of the tubular member and adapted to be moved to packingposition, means for expanding the packing member by a: compressingaction thereon, and rigid wedging means interposed between the packingand tubular with respect to the tubular member and the packing memberfor effecting a wedging action on` and supporting the packing member inits expanded position. 5. In packing structures for wells and inatubular member, a packing member external ofthe tubular member andadapted to be moved to packing position, 'means for expanding the.packing member gid wedging means inter osed between the packing andtubular mem ers and freely movable with respect to the tubular memberand the packing. member for supporting the said wedging means beingmovable'toward each other and renderedfactiveby the expanding action ofthe packing member.

6. In packing structures for wells/and in combination,l a packin memberand its supr by a compressmg actlon, and a plurality of loosely mountedrigid terposed between the'packing member and itssupport and movable incontact vwith and in the direction'of'length of the support by ecompressing' action." of the packing for producing a substantiallyuniform resistmembers and freely movable' Irlphery, and a packing ingthe packing memwedging means inance for the packing member substantiallythroughout its length.

In packing structures for wells and in combination, al packin member andits support, means for expan ing the packing memer by a compressingaction, and loosely mounted rigid Wedging meansinterposed between thepacking member and its support and movable relatively to and in thedirection of length of the support for producing a substantiallyuniformV resistance for the packing member substantially throughout itslength, the movement of said Wedging means being controlled by thepacking member.

8. In packing structures for wells and in combination, a packing memberand its support, means for expanding the packing member by compression,and loosely mounted vwedging means between the packing member and itssupport for supporting the expanded portion of the packing member, saidWedgingmeans being in the form or' annular members freely movable withrespect to the packing member support, and having portions looselyengaging the packing member, said Wedging means rendered operative bythe compressing action of the packing.

9. lln combination, a packing member, a

tubular member for normally supporting the packing member, means forcompressing the packing member to increase its diameter, and wed ingmeans between the packing and tubu ar members, said packing memberhaving recesses on its inner periphery conforming to and adapted toreceive the wedging means, said wedging means being in contact with thetubular member and rendered operative by the compressing action of thepacking member. v Y 10. lln' packing structures for wells, a packingmember adapted to be expanded and having tubular recesses on its innerperigid Wedging member for and loosely positioned within each recess,said rigid member beingfree to move relatively to said packing member.

11. ln packing structures for wells, a packing memb and having tubularrecesses on itsinner periphery, and a rigid wedging member for andloosely positioned within each recess, said rigid member being free tomove relative to said packing member, said rigid member having aninternal diameter approximatlng the normal internal diameter/ofthepacking member.

said rigid member being free to tnove rela- :tive' to said packingmember, saidrecesses having a configuration ,complemental to the eradapted to be expanded i external configuration of the rigid meinbers.

13. In packing structures for Wells, a packing member adapted to beexpanded and having tubular recesses on its inner periphery, and a rigidWedging member for and loosely positioned within each recess, saidrigidmember being free to move relative to said packing member, saidrigid members each having its outer periphery curved in the direction ofmember axis.

14. ln packing structures for Wells, a

packing member adapted to be expanded and having tubular recesses on itsinner periphery, and a rigid Wedging member for and loosely positionedWithin each recess, said rigid member being free to move relative tosaid packing member, said rigid members each having its oppositev endsof least thickness, the recesses of the packing member corresponding incontour tothe external contour of the rigid members.

in testimony whereof, l affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' PATRCK H. MACK.

lWitnesses T. J. FENNERTY,

C. A. SPRETER.

